Amsterdam

After countless (and I mean countless) trips to Amsterdam I finally decided to take a few snaps of my 2nd favourite place!

The architecture, the vibe. The art. The freedom. I mean taking an early afternoon stroll along the canal and casually seeing a man sitting on the floor sketching the view right next to sex workers in their windows. Open for business.

Red Light District during the day

And of course the marijuana (weed, ganja, grass, pot…whatever you want to call it, Amsterdam has it all – mostly -). Their rules are quite different to the UK’s so keep an eye out for the signs. In coffeeshops it is legal to smoke weed, but cigarettes are only allowed in designated areas. It is unusual to see weed and alcohol sold in the same place. You can consume both but often you would have to buy your weed somewhere else and go to a bar or pub to smoke it. There are a few places that do both http://www.hightimes.com/read/4-amsterdam-bars-you-can-drink-smoke-weed.

Coffeeshops are essentially bars but for smoking. There’s such a variety, from multi-storey ones with music and comfortable seating (like my favourite Prix d’Ami) to little nondescript ones such as Voyagers Hotel Coffeeshop opposite Central Station. Most Coffeeshops insist you buy from them (food and drinks) as you don’t have to buy weed from them so they have to make their money somehow!

Dam Square

Main High Road

The last time I went to Amsterdam we found a festival (Encore Festival), which was one of the best times I’ve ever had! So we did a bit of research and found out that they have a weekly club night on a Saturday at Melkweg, a 15-minute drive from Dam Square. Highly recommended if you like hip hop, rnb, bashment etc.

Excuse the poor quality..it was raining!

Unfortunately, it’s getting more and more expensive to go to Dam but there are still a few hotel gems if you can find them and of course, AirBnB has many options. One of my favourite places to stay when I go is the STAR Houseboat http://www.myhouseboatamsterdam.com/, great location, friendly hosts and clean, roomy boat.